In America, a young woman can go across every one of our thousands upon thousands of railed miles without the slightest risk of a disagreeable occurrence if she is herself dignified and reserved.  She should be particularly careful if she is young and pretty not to allow strange men to “scrape an acquaintance” with her.  If a stranger happens to offer to open a window for her, or get her a chair on the observation platform, it does not give him the right to more than a civil “thank you” from her.  If, in spite of etiquette, she should on a long journey drift into conversation with an obviously well-behaved youth, she should remember that talking with him at all is contrary to the proprieties, and that she must be doubly careful to keep him at a formal distance.  There is little harm in talking of utterly impersonal subjects—­but she should avoid giving him information that is personal.

Every guardian should also warn a young girl that if, when she alights at her destination, her friends fail to meet her, she should on no account accept a stranger’s offer, whether man or woman, to drive her to her destination.  The safest thing to do is to walk.  If it is too far, and there is no “official” taxicab agent belonging to the railroad company, she should go to the ticket seller or some one wearing the railroad uniform and ask him to select a vehicle for her.  She should never—­above all in a strange city where she does not even know her direction—­take a taxi on the street.

=REGISTERING IN A HOTEL=

A gentleman writes in the hotel register:  “John Smith, New York.”

Under no circumstances “Mr.” or “Hon.” if he is alone.  But if his wife is with him, the prefix to their joint names is correct:  “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, New York.”

He never enters his street and house number.  Neither “John Smith and Wife” nor “John Smith and Family” are good form.  If he does not like the “Mr.” before his name he can sign his own without, on one line, and then write “Mrs. Smith” on the one below.  The whole family should be registered: 

John T. Smith, New York
Mrs. Smith, "
and maid
(if she has brought one)

Miss Margaret Smith,                  "
John T. Smith, Jr.,                   "
Baby and nurse,                       "

Or, if the children are young, he writes: 

Mr. & Mrs. John T. Smith, New York, 3 children and nurse.

A lady never signs her name without “Miss” or “Mrs.” in a hotel register: 

“Miss Abigail Titherington” is correct, or “Mrs. John Smith,” never “Sarah Smith.”

=LADIES ALONE IN AMERICAN HOTELS=

If you have never been in a hotel alone but you are of sufficient years, well behaved and dignified in appearance, you need have no fear as to the treatment you will receive.  But you should write to the hotel in advance—­whether here or in Europe.  In this country you register in the office and are shown to your room, or rooms, by a bell-boy—­in some hotels by a bell-boy and a maid.